Method for converting coal to coke

ABSTRACT

A coking method comprises in combination, the steps of providing a quantity of coals, providing a quantity of chemical change agents selected from the class of chemical change agents including: (i) acrylic latex, (ii) styrene-butadiene polymers, and (iii) natural and synthetic polymers, blending said chemical change agent with water in a ratio of about 40:60 to 60:40, spraying the provided quantity of lower quality coal with the blended water and chemical change agent in a ratio of about one ton of coal plus or minus ten percent to about four gallons of blended water and chemical change agent plus or minus ten percent, baking the coated coal in a reducing, heated, oxygen-free environment, including a heating element, at a temperature of about 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, cooling the resultant higher cold strength baked product by exposing said product to a water quench or cooling said product in a dry quench box.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/902,532 filed Jul. 30, 2004, which was a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/354,425 filed Jan. 30, 2003.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a coking method and product and more particularly pertains to increasing the cold strength (referred to as stability) of coke made from lower quality coals and reducing the period of time, energy, and cost necessary for converting coal to a coke product by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coal.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various methods for converting coal to coke products are known in the prior art. More specifically, methods for converting coal to coke products previously devised and utilized for the purpose of driving off volatile matter contained in coal are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.

While known methods fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the prior art does not describe a coking method and product that allows increasing the cold strength (referred to as stability) of coke made from lower quality coals and reducing the period of time, energy, and cost necessary for converting coal to a coke product by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coal.

In this respect, the coking methods according to the present invention substantially depart from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provide methods primarily developed for the purpose of increasing the cold strength (referred to as stability) of coke made from lower quality coals and reducing the period of time, energy, and cost necessary for converting coal to a coke product by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coal.

Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved coking method and product which can be used for increasing the cold strength (referred to as stability) of coke made from lower quality coals and reducing the period of time, energy and cost necessary for converting coal to a coke product by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coal. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of methods for converting coal to coke products now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved coking method and product. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved coking method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a coking method for reducing the period of time, energy, and cost necessary for converting coal to a coke product, a clean burning fuel used primarily in steel- making blast furnaces and other industrial applications, by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coals, comprising in combination, the steps of:

-   -   1. providing a quantity of coal selected from the class of coals         including:         -   (a) granulated lower quality metallurgical coals, (b)             pulverized lower quality metallurgical coals and (c)             non-metallurgical coals,     -   2. providing a quantity of chemical change agents selected from         the class of chemical change agents including (a) acrylic         latex, (b) styrene-butadiene polymers, (c) natural and synthetic         polymers,     -   3. blending the chemical change agent with water,     -   4. coating the coal with the blended water and chemical change         agent     -   5. baking the coated coal in a reducing, heated, oxygen-free         environment, including a heating element, at a temperature of         about 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, and for a period of time of about         18 to 48 hours, depending on the coal blend, condition of the         ovens and type of coke to be produced; and     -   6. cooling the resultant baked product by exposing such product         to a water quench.

In addition, the present invention also includes the resultant higher cold strength coke product.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the component steps set forth in the following description. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved coking method which has all of the advantages of the prior art methods for converting coal to coke products and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved coking method and product which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved coking method and product which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale, thereby making such coking method and product economical.

Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a coking method and product for increasing the cold strength (referred to as stability) of coke made from lower quality coals and reducing the period of time, energy, and cost necessary for converting coal to a coke product by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coal.

Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method for converting coal to coke comprising, in combination, the steps of coating a quantity of coal with a blend of water and a chemical change agent and baking the coated coal in a reducing environment for a corresponding duration of time to form a coke product; and cooling the resultant coke product.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying descriptive matter in which there is described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention, the coking method and product is comprised of a plurality of components. Such components in their broadest context include blending the components, heating the blended components and cooling the heated components.

More specifically, the present invention is a coking method for increasing the cold strength (referred to as stability) of coke made from lower quality coals and reducing the period of time, energy and cost necessary for converting a plurality of stockpiled coal to a coke product, a clean burning fuel used primarily in steel-making blast furnaces and other industrial applications. The conversion is done by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coals. The method comprises, in combination, the steps of first providing a quantity of coal. Such coal is selected from the class of coals including: (a) granulated lower quality metallurgical coals, (b) pulverized lower quality metallurgical coals and (c) non-metallurgical coals.

Next is the step of providing a quantity of chemical change agent. Such agent is selected from the class of chemical change agents including: (a) acrylic latex, (b) styrene-butadiene polymers, and (c) natural and synthetic polymers.

Water is added to the additive in a 40:60 to 60:40 ratio and preferably 50:50 ratio as an extender to reduce the amount of pure chemical change agent required.

Thereafter, the method includes the step of coating the provided quantity of coal with the additive. The coating may be performed either by spraying or by introducing the additive into a coal blending or sizing device. Such coating is preferably in a ratio of about one ton of coal plus or minus ten percent and about four gallons of blended water and chemical change agent plus or minus ten percent.

The next step is then baking the blended, homogeneous mixture. The baking is in a reducing heated, oxygen-free environment, including a heating element, at a temperature of about 1700 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lastly is the step of cooling the resultant baked product by exposing said product to a water quench or cooling the product in a dry quench box.

The invention also includes the higher cold strength coke product formed by the method as described herein above.

There are various typical examples of the method steps of the present invention.

Using the method of the present invention, low quality metallurgical coal and blends containing non-metallurgical coal, can be converted to soft coke.

As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

1. A coking method for increasing the cold strength (referred to as stability) of coke made from lower quality coals and reducing the period of time, energy, and cost necessary for converting a plurality of stockpiled coal to a coke product by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coal resultant coke product, a clean burning fuel used primarily in steel-making blast furnaces and other industrial applications, by driving off the volatile matter contained in the coals, comprising in combination, the steps of: a. providing a quantity of coal selected from the class of coals including (i) granulated lower quality metallurgical coals, (ii) pulverized lower quality metallurgical coals, and (iii) non-metallurgical coals, b. providing a quantity of chemical change agents selected from the class of chemical change agents including: (i) acrylic latex, (ii) styrene-butadiene polymers, and (iii) natural and synthetic polymers, c. blending said chemical change agent with water in a ratio of about 40:60 to 60:40; d. spraying the provided quantity of coal with the blended water and chemical change agent in a ratio of about one ton of coal plus or minus ten percent to about four gallons of blended water and chemical change agent plus or minus ten percent, e. baking the coated coal in a reducing, heated, oxygen-free environment, including a heating element, at a temperature of about 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, f. cooling the resultant baked product by exposing said product to a water quench or cooling said product in a dry quench box.
 2. The coking method of claim 1 wherein said water and chemical change agent are blended in a ratio of about 50:50.
 3. The coking method of claim 1, wherein said blended water and chemical change agent are coated upon said coal by spraying.
 4. The coking method of claim 1 wherein said blended water and chemical change agent is coated upon said coal by introducing the additive into a coal blending or sizing device.
 5. A higher cold strength coked product produced in accordance with claim
 1. 